I am seeking a field assistant for this summer, working on a project examining the ecosystem role of native fish in southwestern streams, and including projects ranging from fish exclosure/enclosures, to PIT tag telemetry, to captive feeding experiments.
Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have experience with standard techniques in stream ecology and with living and working under rugged outdoor conditions, but more important is enthusiasm, creativity and flexibility, and a strong work ethic. I will provide housing, food, and transportation to the field site. The work will begin in early May and continue until the beginning of August, and is located in (very) rural western New Mexico. I'm looking at the different ways that some large bodied fish (suckers-C. insignis and C. clarki) interact and modify their ecosystem. The site is really beautiful--about 5500ft elevation, with canyons of semiarid grassland and ridges of pine and juniper. To get there, you cross the Continental divide twice--it is about 1.5 hours from the nearest town/grocery store, but we do have some of the luxuries of home--beds (, hot showers, kitchen with refrigeration, although the house is very rustic. The biggest perk is a screened-in porch overlooking the West Fork Gila river, and a view over the Gila/Aldo Leopold Wilderness areas. You can see pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/cycloxslug/Summer08FieldPics The work is challenging, and you can expect really long hours (10-16+) on a regular basis. Some of the work is strenous or tedious--digging fences, carrying equipment, scrubbing rocks and picking bugs, while some is pretty mellow--walking along the river taking flow measurements or counting feeding scars. Job applicants need to be comfortable with working outside, in any weather, carrying somewhat heavy loads (like 30-50lbs), and walking around on slippery rocks and steep hillsides. Contact Mike Booth at [email protected] with a CV and at least 2 references if you are interested.
